Bishamon
Bishamon ( jap. 毘 沙門 , also: Bishamonten ( 毘 沙門 天 ) or Tamonten ( 多 聞 天 ); Sanskrit : Vaiśravaṇa; tib . : rNam thos sras, also called " Kubera " or Jambhala ) is a Buddhist entity and belongs to the four kings of heaven , here of the Heavenly Kings North. In the general Japanese religion , he is one of the seven gods of luck ( Shichi Fukujin ).
function
Bishamon is primarily the god of war and as such also the patron saint of warriors. He also distributes the wealth and is the protector of those who worship the "lotus of the righteous law", that is, who belong to Buddhism . He protects people from demons and diseases and the Buddhist temples from destruction. Among the four kings of the sky he is the guardian of the north .
Attributes
He is often depicted in full armor and a hoko, a Japanese three-pronged halberd in one hand, a pagoda in the other; often stands as a powerful ruler of demons thrown to the ground. Sometimes he is depicted in a wreath of fire, comparable to a halo .
Lore
Bishamon is said to have been successfully summoned by Prince Shōtoku in 587 during a campaign against the anti-Buddhist clans in Japan .
Other religions
Bishamon corresponds to the Vedic Vaisravana, where in the epic Mahabharata he changes from a dark being in Kumbhīra and is venerated as a protector.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dharmapala Thangka Center ( Memento of the original from January 8, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
literature
- Kurt S. Ehrich: Bishamonten , in: Ders .: Shichifukujin. The seven lucky gods of Japan , Recklinghausen 1991, page 81–117, ISBN 3-7647-0416-0 .
Web links
- http://www.pantheon.org (source)